Texans’ Joe Mixon is doubtful, Cam Akers to be RB1 against Vikings, Dameon Pierce out, Juice Scruggs expected to play

HOUSTON – Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon didn’t practice for the third consecutive day and is officially doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Mixon is not expected to play this week and running back Cam Akers is set to be RB1 against the Vikings for the 2-0 Texans.

Backup running back Dameon Pierce is ruled out for this game.

And starting center Juice Scruggs, who returned to practice on a limited basis the past two days, is questionable after missing the game Sunday night with a groin injury as he and backup center Jarrett Patterson both practiced Thursday after working on the side Wednesday. Scruggs is expected to play against the Vikings, barring any setbacks, per league sources.

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The following starters have no injury designation and are good to go against the Vikings: wide receiver Nico Collins (hip, foot), who participated fully Friday, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (shin), cornerback Kamari Lassiter (elbow) and tight end Dalton Schultz (sprained ankle). All participated fully.

Mixon injured his ankle on a hit from Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards on Sunday night at NRG Stadium with no penalty called.

Mixon’s injury isn’t regarded as long term, but is sidelined for Sunday’s game due to a lack of ability to cut at optimal levels due to the ankle injury sustained on Sunday night., according to league sources.

“Yeah, we’ll take it day by day with Joe and his injury and see where he ends up at the end of the week,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday. “Still holding out hope that he can make it.”

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Akers took the first-team snaps Wednesday and Thursday with Pierce sidelined with a mild strained hamstring that kept him out of the Chicago game. Pierce is regarded as close to returning, but not quite there, per a league source.

Akers has been impressive, displaying flashes of his playmaking ability.

“He has great vision,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said. “He’s been running, ran zone scheme he came from, he did the same thing in Minnesota. He’s really good at reading that, we call it riding the wave, finding the right hole to hit. He always plays under control.

“When he sees it, he hits it. He finishes physical. And he has really good contact balance and I’d say those are the things that jump out with Cam. You pretty much see that every carry.”

A former starter for the Los Angeles Rams and second-round draft pick from Florida State, Akers rushed for 32 yards on seven carries with one lost fumble against the Bears.

Akers rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown in six games last season for the Vikings before tearing his Achilles tendon and has made a complete recovery.

“Cam has run the ball well, as we’ve seen.,” Ryans said. “He did a good job for us, so we’ll see where Cam is as we go throughout the week as well.”

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The Texans signed center Scott Quessenberry to the practice squad and have Kendrick Green poised to step in if Scruggs and Patterson are unavailable. Patterson’s calf injury isn’t regarded as serious.

“Yeah, we would love to get Juice out there and get some time with all these different looks that they’re presenting,” Ryans said Wednesday. “For me, you have to practice well to play well in the game, so it’s very important to try to get out and practice.”

Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud played with several centers last season, including Patterson and Quessenberry. He’s accustomed to adjusting on the fly.

“Last year, I had the chance to have three centers and now I’m on my third center in Week 3 and I hope J-Pat and Juice are fine,” Stroud said. “We’ll see what happens, but it’s next man up. Got to go out there and win a football game. So, I’m a big believer in KG. I think Kendrick has a lot of great upside. He’s really fast, quick, mobile, strong. I’ve been working with him since he got here last year, so I see us not slowing down.”

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The Texans have reviewed video of the play and regard Edwards’ hit as an illegal hip-drop tackle, which was outlawed by the NFL due to a high rate of injury. Now, the Texans are submitting the play to the league office for review. Edwards could be subject to a $16,883 fine from the NFL, if it’s his first offense. A second violation results in a $22,511 fine.

Mixon left the Texans’ 19-13 win under his own power, limping into the blue medical tent before going to the locker room briefly for more examination. Mixon had a magnetic resonance imaging exam Monday, which revealed no structural damage.

“With the tackle, in my mind, it is definitely considered the hip drop when a defender unweights himself, and he puts all his weight on the runner’s legs,” Ryans said during his weekly Monday press conference at NRG Stadium. “You see why we want to get the hip-drop tackle out of the game because it causes a lot of injuries when it happens. The hip-drop tackle doesn’t happen much, but the percentage of injury when it does happen is very high and you saw that there with Joe and his ankle.

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“The defender landed on his ankle. So, tough spot to be in. We all want to coach it better on defenders. That is why you want to put your body in front and tackle guys in front and not reaching from behind, and the defender is in a bad spot there. He’s trying to get Joe down and the only way when you’re in a bad spot, the only way, is to unweight yourself and you put your weight off on his leg. So, unfortunate that that happened to Joe.”

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Mixon, who rushed for one yard on one carry before being taken back out of the game and replaced by Cam Akers, who rushed for a team-high 32 yards on seven carries and lost a fumble on an unflagged helmet-to-helmet shot in the red zone, finished the game with nine carries for 25 yards. He caught three passes for 25 yards one week after rushing for 159 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 30 carries.

“The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason,” Mixon wrote on social media after the game. “Time to put your money where your mouth is. When I got up, I asked the ref where is the flag that was a hip tackle. & his reply was no it wasn’t.”

The Texans rushed for just 3.4 yards per carry, gaining 75 yards on 22 carries one week after Mixon averaged 5.3 yards per run against the Colts.

“Losing Joe was tough for our offense,” Ryans said. “The production that Joe had the first week was beneficial. He was key to our success in the first week.”

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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.